Fox Episode 3 + 4 Review
Recap We start off right where we left off, like the second where we left off! Mina gets over finding her crush in the same fantasy world as her and begins to question her environment. Fox then leads her further into the Dream World and explains to her where they are; the place where dreams are held and created. The information is too much for her to handle and she ends up passing out… in the DREAM WORLD! The next episode starts off much differently. We open to summer of 2014 where Fox and Mina engage in some underage drinking in the back of Fox’s car. They play a drinking game, “Heads Up” where Fox is supposed to guess she’s Edward Cullen and Mina is supposed to guess she’s, well… Mina. Good one Fox! They talk about anything, from penis’s to something more deep: Does Fox find Mina attractive? Mina gets confident and tries to kiss her but passes out… again. We cut to the opening logo and cut to Mina waking up (so we think) in the Dream World where Fox is laying by her side then cradles her and leans in to kiss her but then we cut to Mina waking up again! This time for real. Remember, she passed in a dream within a dream so I suppose she would have to wake up twice? They engage in more conversation that leads to Mina questioning her environment yet again and Fox encouraging her to believe in her dream. In the end, Mina does. Review Episode 3: I love this episode! It starts off right away and gets to the point without seeming too rushed. I love the semi- tender moment when Fox reaches out her hand to Mina as if to say “Don’t you trust me?” and Mina sheepishly taking it. When she pulls back slightly, Fox pulls her, reminding her and us that she’s the one in control. They walk a while but the images are beautiful and play really well with the music. It really is romantic. Then when they arrive in front of the river, the same river as in the books, I love Fox’s speech. It’s so eerie and cool. And I love the part when Mina can hear other people dreaming! Monroe Hayden’s acting was pretty on spec in this one, appearing to be tender in certain moments and cold in others. The ending when Mina is beginning to pass out and experiences what seems like a nightmare, where Fox really appears to be threatening as if doing this to her, flashes in and out of green tinted frames and to the normal color pallet. This part was done well in both an editing aspect and an acting aspect. Monroe Hayden definitely has the right face to pull this part off. She really appeared to be dangerous in this particular part. Her tender moments let you trust her but her cold moments make you question that trust. I think it’s perfect and she did a really good job. Allyson Moyer also did a good job for the most part. She really seemed to be both in awe and scared. Overall, the reason I like this is because of Fox’s speech, this show’s version of what and where the Dream World is- is quite creative and surprising. The sound is phenomenal and visually, some shots seemed pixilated but that could be a number of reasons from my computer to the upload of the video itself. It’s not that serious, though. The framing was perfect! The cinematography was amazing! The editing- the best! Their use of camera work, to me, seems like the makers took classes or watch a lot movies. Romantic moments are very steady where more intense scenes are hand held. Very good use of that tool! Overall, great episode! Episode 4: Starting off in a flashback was definitely unexpected and new. I like that they can keep surprising us. At first, I wasn’t sure what they were doing to be honest but that’s the point. The scene explains it to you as you go on. The dialogue in this is important. Some people were wondering why this scene was necessary. I’m not sure if it is yet since the season isn’t over but I do think it holds importance and here’s why: 1.) It takes place two years ago, so it explains off the bat that they both have known each other for a while. 2.) It’s not quite explained if Fox is really drunk or just pretending to keep Mina’s mind off the Box. This box has been a part of the picture for two years, mind you. If Fox was pretending then why? Which leads me to #3. 3.) Mina reveals that she may be a lesbian and that she’s crushing on Fox. So that would mean that Fox is perfectly aware of Mina’s feelings which could mean one of two things, she is either leading her on or waiting for Mina to tell her on her own time when she’s ready and sober. 4.) We learn Fox is bi-sexual so Mina has a chance. 5.) The Dream World could be result of her either passing out or the possible accident that was hinted to us in Episode 2. Or maybe she’s starting to remember her life after the accident? The scene was funny and it was meant to be. It showed a different side to both girls, especially Fox. In this scene, however, it was definitely Fox who stole the spotlight. Monroe Hayden’s acting, in my opinion, was better than Allyson Moyer’s. Allyson seemed too practiced and she seemed to have just done what theater actors do; say their line and wait to say the next. It was as if she forgot the camera (the audience) was in her face the entire time where Monroe was always in character. Even though it wasn't explained whether or not Fox was drunk or pretending to be, both scenarios were successful due to Monroe's performance which I believe was intentional since Fox kept looking back to the box every once in a while. Her voice even went from tender to normal in certain parts. Even when she spoke her words slurred as words usually do when someone is drunk and her flirting was believable where Allyson’s just wasn’t working for her that day. She seemed to be acting and that’s the one thing I don’t like about this scene and as good as Monroe was, it wasn’t enough, for me, to love it. She couldn’t hold the fort on her own and her partner just didn’t do her part well. For someone who was drunk, Mina's eyes couldn’t keep still or even delay as if to be tired considering she was going to pass out. It was like Mina mixed Red Bull in her beer but, in Allyson's defense, acting drunk must be hard and she did just come from theater so this is a whole new world for her. Other critics, however, aren’t so kind. This could also be the fault of the director. Allyson may not realize how she looks where the director does and Adriana Escandon perhaps should have said something and directed her in a different direction or didn’t notice it at all which could be a problem for future episodes. Or maybe Allyson always did it the same in each take, which could still be a problem. The good thing about this scene, which I appreciate and I know many viewers can too, is the fact the show was given an All AUDIENCES rating and right in the beginning of the episode too, they start talking about penis's and vagina's. It took me back and made me wonder, "Is this for kids? Oh, right teens!" I was like, "Ok. Let's talk about those things." So, they're pushing their censorship up against that thin dotted line that turns a video from ALL AUDIENCES to MATURE CONTENT but not actually crossing the point of no return. By the way, they just mention body organs, they don't go into detail about them. I think the point of dropping it is to silently throw in the idea that in the end, the only thing that separates equal rights are penis's and vagina's. Well done. Well done. In the Dream World, Allyson revived herself yet she still has a tendency to seem too practiced especially when she asked, “Where am I?”. I really feel like the director should have told her to redo it. Maybe she did redo it and it always came out the same. We don’t know but I’m starting to question the director for letting Allyson’s too practiced acting go so far. She did played her reactions very well and I have to admit it seemed like she wasn’t acting in particular moments; when Mina decides to shut down Fox’s belief in dinosaurs roaming the earth once again due to Jurassic Park. She genuinely looked embarrassed yet satisfied she was getting Fox’s attention. So either Adriana Escandon worked on Allyson a bit or Allyson was able to get out of her head and just enjoy acting in the moment. It comes off real well and believable and I remain hopeful. Let me also add, the flirting in the second half is equal from both actors. I felt the chemistry in this. Monroe Hayden still nailed her performance in fact- this episode is my favorite Monroe Hayden performance so far, because she showed a different side to Fox that we all really wanted to see; the side that Mina fell for and eventually, Daisy in the future. Fox is adorable in this and you can totally see why she’s the dream girl. She was so tender and understanding and patient, just like in the books. She went from sharp and stand off-ish to sweet and adorable. I really like Fox right now. I was skeptical about Monroe Hayden not showing enough emotion and appearing to be as emotionless as Robert Pattinson in Twilight but I’m not skeptical anymore. Monroe showed more facial expressions in this episode than both Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Twilight combined. They cast the right girl for the role. Into character development, the fact that Mina took Fox’s hand this time symbolizes that Mina is ready to believe and that she trusts Fox, a complete turn- around from the previous episode when she was hesitant when Fox reached out her hand to her. Did anyone notice that? Because of that, I’m pretty confident that the writers know how to tell a story and my worries are over in the writing department. We got to see a moment in the past of Fox and Mina’s friendship and got to see a moment where Mina is essentially in control of her future. The cinematography in this! Wow! This is the best one yet in terms of cinematography. The girls look gorgeous and that shot where we’re looking up at Fox and the sun is slightly in our eyes- BEAUTIFUL! The lighting was used real well to tell the story too. The flashback was darker and less saturated and not so flattering as if to display the fact that reality is much different than fantasy. The real world was dark and looked cold. The actor’s makeup and hair was more realistic in an everyday kind of way and their clothes were much different. This is also the first scene that didn’t feature a score but a song. The Dream World, as always, is beautiful and gorgeous. The lighting is perfect and the girls look their best. Mina looks so different in the Dream World than in the Real World which I understand, we all look better in our fantasies than in real life. Great tool for storytelling! I love, love, love the framing in the Dream World for this episode. The sound in this was not at its best but still better than other web series out there but not as great as the episodes prior. This one seemed to be recorded on set where as the previous ones had ADR. Overall the episode was a good break from its intense streak and offered a bit of comedy and romance and I’m glad they did it because it was needed. It was like the makers knew we needed to breathe and they gave it to us. I also like that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Before Fox premiered, it was getting some harsh premonitions that it would be like Twilight so they had Edward Cullen on Fox’s forehead to guess. Did anyone catch that Fox said her last name was Mulder? Like Fox Mulder from X- Files? I like when writers can have fun with their work. It’s good episode that offers mystery; what’s Fox’s angle and how does the box come into play, yet it still introduces the evolution of Fox and Mina’s friendship really well. Bravo. Episode 3: 5/5 Episode 4: 4/5